Post-Bacc Undergrad Work

[Kphrogg]

Hello all! I've received advice regarding doing an SMP in the past here and was working on getting into one when my wife received the news that her mom has stage IV pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we are moving closer and taking care of her until she passes.

Unfortunately, there there are no SMPs in the area, so I am instead doing post-bacc undergraduate course work. Given that it has been 14 years since I did my pre-reqs (poorly), I was curious about your input on whether I should (1) repeat the pre-reqs or (2) take exclusively upper level science courses. In recent years, I have taken a few upper level science courses and have earned "A"s on all of them, so I am confident that I can do well given either option. Thoughts?

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[DrMidlife]

Hi -

I'm sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

I suggest that you might benefit from taking an MCAT practice test, cold, to see what looks familiar and what doesn't. I expect you'll find that you do well on bio, because of your recent coursework, but maybe you won't do so well on genchem/ochem/physics. First one is free on www.e-mcat.com.

Based on whether the genchem/ochem/physics content on a test MCAT looks absolutely foreign or not, you might want to retake those courses, or you might want to do review on your own. (Note that MCAT prep is not the same as content review, and should be seriously pursued separately from coursework.)

Also, if you got a C or worse in a prereq, you'll seriously want to consider retaking. Some schools will require it.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Kphrogg]

Hi -

I'm sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

I suggest that you might benefit from taking an MCAT practice test, cold, to see what looks familiar and what doesn't. I expect you'll find that you do well on bio, because of your recent coursework, but maybe you won't do so well on genchem/ochem/physics. First one is free on www.e-mcat.com.

Based on whether the genchem/ochem/physics content on a test MCAT looks absolutely foreign or not, you might want to retake those courses, or you might want to do review on your own. (Note that MCAT prep is not the same as content review, and should be seriously pursued separately from coursework.)

Also, if you got a C or worse in a prereq, you'll seriously want to consider retaking. Some schools will require it.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks, MidLife, I knew I could count on your input. I should have mentioned in my previous post that I already took the MCAT (6 months ago) and got a 34.

I do have "C"s in a couple of the pre-reqs, so I should retake those. One class is a bit of an anomaly though: in O-chem, I got a C+ in my first semester and an A- in the second. Should I bother retaking it?

 

[DrMidlife]

Thanks, MidLife, I knew I could count on your input. I should have mentioned in my previous post that I already took the MCAT (6 months ago) and got a 34.

Now you're talkin. You'll want to pay attention to schools that won't take MCAT scores more than a couple years old - maybe a third are like that. This will be an issue if you decide to finish an SMP before applying to med school, but not if you do a same-year-as-SMP med school app. See the postbac forum for endless strategizing on such.

I do have "C"s in a couple of the pre-reqs, so I should retake those. One class is a bit of an anomaly though: in O-chem, I got a C+ in my first semester and an A- in the second. Should I bother retaking it?

Each school is going to have its own line in the sand. I personally evaded an ochem retake by having done some biochem. If you're trying to de-emphasize a low undergrad GPA, and you're doing retakes anyway, I think it will look tidier to have "cleaned up" that C+. But I expect you'll find it's not mandatory.

 

[Kphrogg]

Excellent suggestions. Thanks much for your input.

 

[MT Headed]

An adcom wants to see evidence of two academic accomplishments. (1) utter dominance of basic science, (2) proof that you can handle a heavy science course load. This is the evidence they need to know you can handle the science in medical school.

Your mcat score demonstrates #1 in spades, so I don't think anything useful will be accomplished by retaking your old prereqs for higher grades. I would focus on #2 by taking three upper level undergraduate science classes with labs simultaneously and getting A's in them. Then you could sell your self as "well, I had some adversity when I took my prereqs back in the 1900s, but obviously I understand the material now and I can handle a heavy science courseload now".

You got a 34 on the real mcat? Sheesh, most undergraduates would sell their mother for a score that high.

 

[Kphrogg]

You got a 34 on the real mcat? Sheesh, most undergraduates would sell their mother for a score that high.

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah, I was surprised to get a 34 when it had been 14 years since I took the sciences behind the MCAT. However, I was glad that the studying paid off.